Despite all the gloom in the badminton circles, the 57th National badminton Championships produced some sparks with the emergence of teenager Achini Ratnasiri as the new women’s singles champion.
Just a few days before this much looked forward to tournament there was chaos in badminton with some players refusing to contest trials for this month’s South Asian Games. But then all the top players in the country showed keen enthusiasm to play in the nationals which is considered the mother of all domestic tournaments.
Ratnasiri, a 16-year-old lass, ended the reign of veteran Chandrika de Silva in the women’s singles finals. Ratnasiri won 21-15, 21-15.
Stiff competition was expected to come De Silva’s way from Ratnasiri as the latter is already established in the badminton scene, despite her raw age. Ratnasiri last year teamed up with Upuli Samanthika and rewrote the Asian badminton record books by winning the gold medal in the girls under 16 doubles final.
Ratnasiri was in control from the first game itself and got the better of De Silva who looked drained of all energy, by the time of the women’s singles final. De Silva took part in the women’s singles, women’s doubles and the mixed doubles and many thought this was a little too much, considering her age. For the record De Silva had, till last year’s nationals, lost a singles final just once in her illustrious career during which she has bagged the singles crown 11 times. De Silva however, got some consolation when she won the mixed doubles finals when she teamed up with Niluka Karunaratne to beat Dinuka Karunaratne and Lekha Shehani 21-15, 21-11.
Niluka Karunaratne showed he is the king in the men’s category by winning the singles event for the ninth time. Karunaratne demolished his younger sibling Dinuka 21-14, 21-14 in a one-sided affair. It is interesting to see whether Karunaratne can make the ideal progress as a top player due to the lack of competition for him in the local scene. Karunratne will be one of Sri Lanka’s best bets at the upcoming SA Games to be held in Bangladesh.
The men’s doubles event produced the sparks at the finals which was witnessed by a sparse but appreciative crowd.
Hasitha Chanaka (an old boy of Dhamasoka Ambalangoda) and R.S.Dahanayake (An old boy of Dharmaraja College Kandy) teamed up to beat the number one ranked pair in the tournament, Diluka Karunaratne and Dinuka Karunratne (Brothers). Chanaka and Dhahanayake won 21-18, 23-21 in thrilling fashion, which was possible because they played attacking badminton.
Asian gold medal winning pair Achini Ratnasiri and Upuli Samanthika teamed up to beat Subodha Dhahanayake and Gayani Perera 21-5, 21-15 to win the women’s doubles finals.
There was a drop in the total number of matches at the nationals compared to past editions of the tournament. But the organizers of the tournament stressed that the important fact was that all top rated players took part in the tournament which was played over a period of four days at the Royal College Sports Complex, in Reid Avenue.
The players received certificates and medals but no cash prizes like in the past.(www.island.lk)
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